Thursday, October 1, 2026
Junior Alexa Coppola caught a pass through the heavy rainfall from junior quarterback Gina Iannuzzi and toe-tapped in the back of the end zone to secure MacArthur’s first flag football county title Saturday at LIU Post over Plainedge, 13-9, in the Class B championship game.
On fourth and goal from the 9-yard line, Iannuzzi rolled right and found a leaping Coppola, who got one foot down with just a few turf pellets between her toe and the white out-of-bounds line. Jubilation from the Generals’ bench followed.
“The focus on catching it was everything, because that was all or nothing,” Coppola said. “I was jaw-dropped. I was shocked I just did that.”
After the celebration brawl in the end zone, Iannuzzi went to Madison Heaney for the one-point conversion to give MacArthur a 4-point lead over Plainedge with 34 seconds to go in the fourth quarter.
To set up Iannuzzi’s game-winner, Coppola intercepted a pass with just under 4:30 left, while the Red Devils were looking to close out the game, just 16 yards from paydirt.
“We were in possession and we knew we could drive down the field and get a touchdown,” Iannuzzi said.
The second meeting between these two programs didn’t disappoint, as the first came on April 25, which resulted in a 14-14 tie. No. 1 MacArthur (17-0-1) finished undefeated against Nassau competition and will face Hauppauge or Deer Park for the Long Island crown this Saturday at LIU Post at noon.
“I told everyone these were the two best teams in Nassau County,” MacArthur head coach Steve Fazzolari said. “I told the girls it was going to be 48 minutes and the game was going to come down to the end. Last time we played them, we scored with 12 seconds left to tie the game, so going down there at the end I told the girls, ‘We’ve got time. Don’t worry about it. Stay calm.”
In the first quarter, MacArthur dropped the snap in the end zone, resulting in a safety and two points for Plainedge. The Generals responded, capping off a 76-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Iannuzzi to senior Meaghan Campbell to take a 6-2 lead into halftime.
Early in the fourth quarter, sophomore Charlotte Norbury reached up with one hand and snagged a pass out of the air from junior Gia Ponticello, bringing the Plainedge offense to the 1-yard line. Ponticello crossed the goal line on a scamper to give the Red Devils the lead with 9:55 left. Norbury hauled in the one-point conversion, which put them in the driver’s seat up 9-6.
Norbury finished with four catches for 69 yards and two crucial interceptions. Ponticello went 11-of-28 for 131 yards through the air and four carries for 22 yards and a touchdown.
“Charlotte’s a great player on both sides of the ball,” Plainedge head coach Adam Hovorka said of Norbury. “It’s kind of what we expected from her and by the end of the game, they were throwing away from her.”
Senior Kate Franks and junior Ava Renzo swarmed for the Red Devils (14-2-1) on defense, combining for three sacks.
As for MacArthur, Iannuzzi was stellar under center, completing 23 of her 35 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Campbell finished with 50 yards on eight catches, Coppola added 50 yards on six catches and senior Taylor Garro contributed with 76 yards on six grabs. She also had one carry for 23 yards.
“We were here three years ago,” Fazzolari said. “We lost to Plainview in our first year, and none of these girls are here, but it’s just a thanks to the girls who started this. The girls who made MacArthur legitimate. So many girls are a part of this.”
